Forever
by Mooon River and Me
Summary: When Peeta proposes to Katniss, does she really only agree because she has to? A short little one-shot about how the proposal went down in my mind, very PG, no mature content at all.


***_This is my first fanfic so please be nice! Just a short little oneshot about Peeta and Katniss _**

_***Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters otherwise I would pay to have someone be my Peeta and marry me...also if you can catch where Katniss's little love speech comes from Kudos to you cause I definitely didn't come up with something that beautiful on my own.**_

**Katniss POV**

The moment he proposed, I knew two things: in his mind, this proposal was for real for him, and I absolutely loved him.

How could I have doubted for a moment my undying love for the boy with the bread? Why would I want to _fake _love with him, when deep down inside, I always had an immeasurable amount of real love for this blond haired, blue eyed boy? My affection in The Games, every kiss, every hug, every touch…they were all the real thing. I am absolutely in love with Peeta Mellark and I'm not sure why I doubted that for even a second.

**Peeta POV**

My proposing to her, whether she realized it or not, was the real thing in my mind. Ever since she sang that one song on the first day of school, I knew she was the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I'd always put up with Gale, because I thought she truly loved him, but now I had the upper hand. I never had the upper hand when it came to this. I mean, I was a stupid baker's son. My own mother loved Katniss more than she would ever love me. Why would anyone pick me over Gale? But for once, I wasn't going to waste my time worrying about her faking her affection for me. I was simply going to pour out my heart and soul into this proposal and hope that she would take me seriously and know how much I truly loved her.

"Katniss Everdeen," I began, "I have watched you for the past decade or so of my life. I've always waited for that one day when you would stop and notice me. It took The Hunger Games just for you to even look twice at me. Although it was first viewed as yet another misfortune in my attempt to win you're love, it proved to be fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it, when I was picked to be the second tribute. I thought it would all go wrong, you would either die or end up killing me. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead, you cared for me and, dare I say it, even grew to love me. I wouldn't have dreamed that you could ever love me like I love you, but I can settle for you just loving me in the perfect way you do right now. I love you, Katniss Everdeen, with all my heart; I know this to be true. I will now ask that you make me the happiest man alive and agree to marry me, the baker's son, the boy with the bread, and become Katniss Mellark. Katniss," this is where I try to pour all my love from me into her, and show her just how much I really love her. "Will you marry me?"

**Katniss POV**

Although I'm sure that Peeta's proposal speech was beautiful, I tune him out after a few words so I can asses what I feel and try my hardest to show him that I'm in love with him. All these years I've been questioning my feelings for Gale when they couldn't have been clearer: Gale is nothing but a friend. Peeta is the one I truly love. While he's down on one knee, declaring his love for me in front of the entire world, I look into his honest blue eyes and, quite suddenly, I see what my future will be if I marry this beautiful boy.

I will be happy. I will never again have to hunt if I don't want to. Peeta will take care of all my needs. I'll spend the rest of my days simply loving this piece of perfection that is presented in front of me. Peeta, the one who can make me laugh, smile, and even make the nightmares bearable throughout the night, will be my partner forever. Nothing could be more perfect than this. I will grow old with the perfect boy, no _man,_ by my side. I could even see him convincing me to have children! One, maybe even two! I love him that much, it would please me just to see his eyes light up even if it meant bringing children into this harsh and cruel world. But then again, how harsh and cruel can it really be if I can love like this and if Peeta could love me back, unconditionally? The Capitol is the cruel one. The Capitol is the harsh one. I love Peeta and I know without a doubt that he will make me more than happy. He's finishing up his speech now so I try and compose myself while the tears in my eyes well up and I try and show him just how much I love him.

"Katniss, will you marry me?" he poses this question and I realize something; there isn't really a choice. Not because President Snow is practically forcing my hand, but because I want to. He would always have been my choice. There was no avoiding it. I was made for Peeta Mellark and he was made for me.

"Yes," I barely get out in an inaudible whisper, the tears now flowing freely down my face while I give him the most loving smile I can muster. I just hope he sees just how much I love him.

When the train stops on the way home for an hour break, I know I need to talk to Peeta. I have to make sure that he understood what my answer meant; not that I will marry him because I have to, but because I'm going to marry him because I want to, _need _to with every fiber in my being. I love this boy more than I love myself. I need him to know that.

I go to his door and quietly knock to see if he's there. He slightly opens it and smiles when he sees me and opens the door wide enough for him to lean on the doorjamb. It's a sleepy smile he gives me and I realize that he must've been in bed, trying to sleep. It _is_ pretty late. His ash blond hair is slightly tousled, and he's wearing his blue plaid sweat pants and a white t-shirt. With his perfectly pink lips tilted upward at the sight of me, I find it hard to control my breath and heartbeat. He's so perfect and he wants _me?_ How did I ever get so lucky?

"Um hey," I begin. "I need to talk to you. Do you want to go outside? It's really important otherwise I wouldn't have woken you."

"Katniss don't ever worry about waking me. If you ever need anything, I'll be here, you know that," he smiles pleasantly at me.

As we set off, my heartbeat picks up at the thought of what I'm about to do.

**Peeta POV**

Katniss leads me off a little bit and looks straight at me. She looks oddly nervous, and I get the fleeting feeling she's about to break my heart. I thought I saw something today when I proposed, but now that all seems to be gone. She's nervous and fidgeting. But then she looks me straight on and I know that I have no choice but to listen to her melodic voice as she begins to tell me exactly what's on her mind.

"Peeta…"

**Katniss POV**

"Peeta, you remember when I once told you I knew little about love? That wasn't true. I know a lot about love. I've seen it. It was the only thing that made watching our world bearable. All those wars. Pain and lies. Hate. It made me want to turn away and never look back again. But to see the way mankind loves. I mean you could search the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So yes, I know that love is unconditional. But I also know it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable, and…well strangely easy to mistake for indifference. What I'm trying to say, Peeta, is… I think I love you. My heart, it feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it doesn't belong to me anymore. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it I'd wish for nothing in exchange. No gifts, no goods, no demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing that you love me too. Just your heart, in exchange for mine." I finish this speech with a small smile, hoping he understands what I'm saying. If anyone would, Peeta would.

At first he just stands there, shocked by my speech. Then, without a word, he moves in and swiftly captures my lips with his. For the first time, there is something there between us that I know, at least on my end, isn't fake. I know this is real. I know that Peeta, good, strong, reliable Peeta, will always be there for me. To love me for the rest of my life. As our lips part, we embrace and I inhale deeply trying to remember this moment forever. I feel his soft blond hair on my face and the tears start again because I'm so unbelievably happy. I look at the sky and silently whisper thank you. I'm not sure to whom, or if I really even intentionally did it but I do know one thing; Peeta, the boy with the bread, loves me. And I love him. I know without a doubt in my mind that this happiness, this true, innocent happiness, cannot be taken away and will remain with us. Forever.


End file.
